


Bucket of Salt

by ThirdGenerationRockette



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: 2.09, F/M, Gossip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 14:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13706316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirdGenerationRockette/pseuds/ThirdGenerationRockette
Summary: Mackenzie really doesn’t mean to yell at Will, but somehow she ends up doing it for most of the elevator ride up to Charlie’s office anyway.





	Bucket of Salt

Mackenzie really doesn’t mean to yell at Will, but somehow she ends up doing it for most of the elevator ride up to Charlie’s office anyway. Logically she knows this isn’t his fault, there is a big part of her that knows there would be a certain level of interest in them from the tabloids whether Nina was involved or not, and she also knows she did them no favours with her now infamous email, but still, it feels...personal.

“You know, when I said you should have revenge sex with every woman in the tri-state area I really should have stipulated that she was excluded. Of all the people, Will, why did it have to be her? Or one of her ilk, anyway-“

“Mac,” he tries.

“I mean, it’s bad enough that the tabloids seem to think our private lives are fair game, but you'd think it was much more interesting for them when you were shagging everything that moved rather than just one woman-“

“Mackenzie.” No harm in one more try, he figures.

“But hell, I guess this way she can make you look like a fool and make me look even worse. Two for one, buy one get one free. I'm the cheating whore who broke your heart and you're the fucking idiot who took me back-“

“Jesus, Mac.” He takes hold of her shoulders and pushes her gently into the corner of the elevator. “I don’t give a shit what they write about me, I don’t even give a shit that you’re blaming me for this because I get that, it’s fair enough, but-“

“It’s not.” She stops him, some of the anger gone from her voice, replaced with sheer frustration. “It’s not fair, I'm sorry, it's not your fault, not really, it’s just…I just hate that anybody even cares, and I wish these rags didn’t fucking lie about everything.”

“I know.” He slides his hands down her arms and takes hold of her hands, squeezing her fingers as he looks at her. “I’m sorry, I know there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it, but I would, you know, if I could. I guess ‘Will McAvoy finally pulled his big fat head out of his ass and proposed to the love of his life’ just doesn’t grab the readers the way the other bullshit does.”

“No.” She sighs and her eyes flick down to his hands still holding hers. “I don’t suppose it does. Maybe I should just get myself a ‘filthy cheating whore’ t-shirt and have done with it.”

“Hey.” He drops one of her hands and tilts her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You are _not_ -“ 

“I’m kidding, Billy,” she says, giving him a faint smile as the elevator comes to a stop. “I'm _kidding_. Alright, let’s see what Charlie has to say about all of this.”

Charlie turns as they walk in, and it’s clear he’s furious. He’s waving the magazine as he paces the room, eventually throwing it down on the desk, raising an eyebrow when Mackenzie picks it up and looks at the cover.

“Well, at least my hair looks good,” she says, wryly. “Every cloud…”

“The photos aren’t the problem,” Charlie says, walking over to the drinks cabinet. “The photos are fine, you look exactly what you are- happy, together, genuine. It’s the fucking article I want to roll up and shove up somebody’s ass!”

“If it makes you feel any better, Mac has already made it very clear this is my fault,” Will shrugs, looking at his fiancée. “You know, for sleeping with the enemy.”

“She has a point.” Charlie scowls at him and moves to take the magazine back from Mackenzie, who steps out of reach and frowns at the front cover, the headline leaping out at her.

_McAvoy engaged to cheating ex…but will they make it down the aisle?_

“I would like it noted for the record that unlike certain people, I have not memorised this article in its entirety,” she says as she turns to the three page spread and winces. “However…”

“Mac...” Charlie tries to stop her, knowing even as he does that his attempt is futile. She’s angry, she needs to get it out so if this helps, then so be it.

“I would also like to point out that while the headline makes me angry,” she sighs and reads it out. “What makes me really fucking mad is that Will has had two years shaved off his age, while I’ve had four years added on! She knows damn well I’m younger than her-“

“Honey...” Will rubs a hand across his forehead, sighing.

“So not only am I a lying, cheating, gold-digging whore,” Mac yells and Will moves back slightly as the magazine she’s now waving almost hits him. “Now, it’s in print that I’m forty fucking one!”

“Mackenzie, I really don’t think...” Charlie starts to talk but gives up when he realises she had really only paused for breath, and is firing up again to continue.

"I'm thirty seven!" She stomps over to the window, taking the magazine and slamming it down on the windowsill in front of her. 

"Hon..." Will walks over to her.

"Don't, Will, just...don't." She wraps her arms tightly around herself but he refuses to be deterred and steps closer, resting his hands on her shoulders, relieved when she doesn't shrug him off.

"Mac, you know this shit has a really short shelf life," Charlie says. "It's gossip, people take it with a huge fucking bucket of salt, and by the morning some Kalashnikov or other will be the order of the day."

"I think you mean Kardashian." Mackenzie lets herself lean back against Will for a few seconds before her eyes land again on the magazine and she moves forward and picks it up. "Do you think people will look at these pictures and think 'yeah, he should run, she looks like a cheating slut'?"

"I think they'll look at these photos and think 'holy shit, how did he land her?'" Charlie shrugs and looks at Will. "No offence."

"None taken...well, not much," Will says. "And anyway, I'm pretty sure more people are going to be inclined to believe I'm an idiot than Mackenzie's a...well, whatever, it's all bullshit."

"Oh, I don't know, there are a few things they got right, I suppose. I mean, I do have a 'Tiffany ring the size of a small town', and I _am_ a beautiful brunette." She smirks faintly as she turns the page.

"Yes, you are," he says. "And the age thing? Fuck that, hon, no one is ever going to believe you're a day over thirty."

“Oh wait." She turns the page. "The hits just keep coming. A source at ACN said ‘It was all very sudden, and we're happy for them but we do worry that it’s only a matter of time before she does it again.'"

"Alright, enough." Will lets go of her and reaches around her to take the magazine out of her hands. "You know nobody here would have said anything to a fucking tabloid, and sure as hell not anything like that. It must just be a slow news day for them, I guess the Real Housewives don't do anything of note until at least the early afternoon."

"I know none of our staff would have said that, but _somebody_ in the building might have." She pauses, finally turning to him. "That's not what you think, is it?"

"That one of our staff said that? Absolutely not," Will says, shaking his head vehemently and throwing the magazine to the floor.

"No, not that," Mackenzie says, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. "You don't think...it's only a matter of time before I do it again?"

"Jesus, Mackenzie." He reaches out and cups her face in his hands, sighing. "Don't do this, you know that's not what I think. You _know_ that."

"Because it isn't, Will, I swear." She closes her eyes briefly before carrying on. "I'm never going to...I would never-"

"I know." He stops her and leans in to kiss her softly, before pulling back and turning to Charlie. "There isn't a fucking thing we can do about this, is there?"

"Nope," Charlie confirms, shaking his head. "You know as well as I do that there's nothing in here that's even remotely libellous, just fucking unfair."

"It doesn't matter," Mackenzie says. "It doesn't, not really. It's a pile of crap, and you're right, it won't stick around once some actual celebrity does something stupid. Or dies."

"That's the spirit, kiddo." Charlie smiles at her. "Now get downstairs and get to work, don't you have a show to produce?"

"I do." She smiles back at him.

"Scotch for the road?" He holds up a glass, grinning at her.

"I don't think going downstairs counts as the road, Charlie," she says, "but thanks anyway."

They're almost in her office when she stops and turns back to Will, bumping into him because he had no clue she was about to stop so suddenly.

"I need to call my mum," she says. "This will show up on a google alert, and she'll think I'm freaking out."

"Which you're absolutely not doing, of course." Will gives her a half-smile. 

"Exactly," she says, continuing into her office and sitting down.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it." He stands in front of her desk, frowning slightly. "I think we should go out for dinner tonight, I'll make a reservation. Anywhere in particular?"

"I don't want to go out tonight," she says, shaking her head. "I-"

"And that's why we're going to." He cuts in. "I don't want you thinking you've done anything wrong, or that you should be hiding away. This is bullshit, Mac, this fucking story, and you know it."

"You sure this isn't about you, Billy?" she asks. "Not twenty minutes ago you stood in front of me and said you didn't care what they wrote about you, but now you think we should go out tonight? To do what? To prove something to these people you say you don't give a shit about?"

"I want to take you out tonight because if I'd suggested we go out for dinner last night you'd have said yes without hesitation, and I don't want this piece of shit article to make you start second guessing yourself," he pauses. "But you know what, if you'd rather we just go home so you can brood, then fine."

"You done?" She snaps, raising her eyebrows, "because I do have work to do here." 

"Yeah, I'm done." He turns and as he strides out of her office, her phone rings.

"Hi Mum," she sighs, "I was just going to call you." 

"Are you alright, darling?" Penny asks, briskly.

"I'm fine," Mackenzie says, "I'm sorry I didn't call you before you saw it...I'm assuming you've seen it?"

"It's nonsense, sweetheart," her mother says. "Idle gossip, not to mention terribly lazy writing. They ought to be ashamed of themselves."

"Well, I can assure you they won't be," Mackenzie replies. "It's what they do, they have no shame about anything, let alone an article where at least half the facts are actually true-"

"Now you listen to me, Mackenzie," Penny raises her voice slightly. "You made a mistake many years ago, you tried to atone for that mistake at the time and it backfired. I understand that, darling, but a person should not be made to pay for their mistakes for the rest of time. I'm absolutely certain Will doesn't see it that way. I've seen the way he looks at you, and it's the way a man looks at his beautiful fiancée, _not_ at his cheating ex-girlfriend."

"I know, I just feel...I feel like everyone is going to be looking at me now and wondering how the hell I managed to trick him into taking me back, and I hate that people will think he's an idiot for caving in." Mackenzie stops and sighs.

"Do you think I think that, or your father?" Penny asks. 

"No, of course not," Mackenzie says, "but-"

"Or Will, or Charlie, or your team there? Is that what they think?" Penny continues. 

"No, I know that's not what they, or you think," Mackenzie says quietly.

"Well then, for goodness' sake, Mackie, why does it matter what anyone else thinks?" Penny asks. "Why on earth should you care about what people flicking through a silly supermarket magazine think?"

"I don't, I shouldn't," Mackenzie mumbles, "I know it's crap, I don't know why I'm letting it get to me like this."

"Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, but it's quite clear to me why it's upsetting you," Penny pauses, "I think you know perfectly well too, despite your assertions to the contrary."

"Nina." Mackenzie sighs heavily. "Yeah, and I know it really isn't his fault but I've been taking it out on Will a bit, and that's not really fair. God, Mum, why do they have to write this shit?"

"People do all sorts of things to make a living, sweetheart, some slightly less honourable than others. As for Will, go and talk to him, Mackie, he'll understand," Penny pauses. "I'll tell your father you're fine, shall I? That the entire thing registered merely a blip on your joy?"

"You might not want to overdo it, Mum." Mackenzie smiles. "But yeah, thanks. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright, have a good day, darling, and give my love to Will," Penny says before hanging up.

Will's door is open as she approaches, which she takes as a good sign. If he was really angry, it would be closed and he would be slamming things around on his desk, pretending to be busy. She steps inside and leans against the window, watching him for a second and waiting for him to look up from the notepad he's scrawling on.

"Hey," she says softly when he finally looks up, but says nothing. "I was thinking, maybe we could go for Italian tonight. You can order an enormous steak, with heaps of creamy sauce and I promise I won't so much as roll my eyes."

“Sounds good,” Will says, but his tone is wary and she can feel his reticence from across the room.

“And I’ll eat a _huge_ bowl of pasta.” She moves closer, standing in front of his desk, biting her lip slightly. “Then we can go home and you can help me work it off.”

“Sounds even better.” He softens and she smiles as he stands up and walks around the desk. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs as he pulls her against his chest.

“It’s okay,” he says, kissing the top of her head, “I’m sorry too. It’s bullshit, and I hate that you’re ending up a target because of me.”

“I’ve made my choice, Billy,” she says. “You’re worth it.”

“Come here.” He leans in and kisses her softly, before pulling her to him again, and stroking his hands down her back.

“Look at us, fighting and making up within minutes,” she says, her voice slightly muffled against his chest. “If we’re not careful, any minute now, the sky might fall.”

“Yeah.” He laughs and she feels his chest rumble under her cheek. “We probably should get back to work and try and head it off.”

“Or at least get ready to report it.” She pulls back, smiling before giving him one more kiss and swiping a trace of lipstick from the corner of his mouth with her thumb.

"I'm always ready," he says, kissing her thumb and quirking an eyebrow before letting her go.

"I'm going to remember that tonight when you're full of steak and wine, and you want to get me into bed just so you can fall asleep on top of me." She smirks.

"Oh honey, you seem to be forgetting how totally powerless I am in the face of you in your underwear," he says.

"What underwear?" She giggles at the expression on his face and turns for the door. "See you at the rundown."


End file.
